


Mission: Spy Kid

by ConscientiousMonster



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Canon, Animals, Fluff, Gen, OOC, Secret Mission, Zoo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 15:24:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10337658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConscientiousMonster/pseuds/ConscientiousMonster
Summary: Darth Maul shows up to rebels, claiming that he immediately needs Ezra Bridger to accompany him on a secret mission.Completely soft ooc.





	

 

 

"I need the boy for this mission." Maul insisted to Kanan, determined with his goal, "That's why I named it Mission: Spy Kid."

"We have learned already that he isn't after hurting me. I can do this one mission for him, and then go home and forget it." Ezra tried to peacefully settle the situation.

"Last time me and Sabine almost died saving you." Kanan attempted to disagree.

"No one kriffing asked you to come after us and get your butt in trouble with the Nightsisters." Maul interrupted.

The argument went on for a very short while, but finally, after being reminded about the beacon on their base, Kanan agreed, and Ezra once again walked inside Maul's ship. 

"Oh, right, one more thing!" Zabrak turned around at the ship's entrance, "If you, or any other rebel agent of yours, follow us this time - I will set the beacon off. Nothing personal, it's all about Ezra. You see, Kanan, personaly - I would like to kill you, or torture for a while. But the kid won't take that well, and a thoughtful mentor I am, I have to care for Ezra's mental safety. But Ezra's only. It wouldn't really be my fault if you tried to follow, and say, some random meteorite hit your- " 

"Oh, just leave already," The human barked in reply, "The faster you leave - faster you'll return him."

"If you ask me, I would gladly go now and never return."

"Honestly, that would be wonderful for everyone- oh wait... you mean never returning with my padawan?" Maul nodded to the clarification. 

Kanan took off his mask, "Listen here, you piece of-" Maul went inside and the ship flew up, he never heard the rest of this phrase.

 

~ ~ ~

 

"You can't be serious..." Said Ezra, as he stared at the intergalactic zoo they just landed next to.

"I am very serious. I have a target I need to spy on in here. I need you to be my cover."

"Cover? You want me to watch your back?"

"Not exactly, no. It's rather that I need you, so we don't draw attention. A sith at the zoo may seem suspicious, but a master taking his apprentice to a zoo - just a little reward perhaps, and no one else's business."

"No way I'm playing along that play." The boy puffed his cheeks.

"Yes way, Ezra. Hey, do you want me to buy you a balloon or something?"

"Ugh, no! Let's just get it over with quicker..." he acts all grumpy, as they duo proceeds inside the zoo.

One thing Maul was glad about - is that Ezra passed for a child ticket. Not only because they were half the price, but that fact - and Ezra's childishly-offended reaction to it - helped the boy get in his role better. 

Five minutes into the "mission", Maul gently asked Ezra not to look like he's got a gun pointed at him. It was such a beautiful day on this _unnamed but very plot relevant_ planet. Birds sang, flowers bloomed, some flowers also sang. "Lighten up, we're here to... have fun." He kept looking around, as if searching for certain someone. His target. "Hmm, he's not around here... must have proceeded deeper into the zoo." Zabrak said that in a semi-whisper, but the next part came out louder, "Let's go to it's middle. I've heard they sell candies there." 

Taking a deep sigh, the boy obidiently followed him. Maul reached his hand for him, but Ezra pretended he didn't notice that. 

"Apprentice, we need to be convincing." 

Apprentice still didn't pick up the hint. He left it laying right where Maul dropped it.

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

"Was this really necessary for this spying mission?" His apprentice wondered, looking at the sweets his master just bought for him.

Actually, not that Maul payed much for it. You'll be surprised - people are willing to give a lot for free with a lightsaber to their throat. Maul respectively shouted "Ezra look! It's lady Tano behind you!" before he got them. He did it to avoid having the boy play his conscious and prevent him from getting them this way. Ezra only later realised it was a trick to get him to look away, but never really figured what was that done for.

"Of course. Remember, our script says that I took you here to treat you well. Who doesn't treat kids without giving them sweets?" 

"But what if they have diabetes?" 

"There are special sugarless sweets for them." 

"What if they're allergic to those?"

"Then I guess they get treated with different food they like."

"What if they have eating disorder and food doesn't give them pleasure at all?" 

"Then they get different way of treating, obviously! Hah, well, I guess you're right, not all kids get sweets. It all depends on situation. I guess it's just up to their mentor to know them good enough, to know how to treat them."

 "I told you!" Ezra put his hands on his hips, triumphantly. He didn't often get to prove points to others. Most of time, they assumed he could not know better than them, because he was younger. 

"You sure did... You sure deserved the treat."

 

~ ~ ~

 

"Quick! He's right there!" Grabbing the boy by his hand, Maul suddenly rushed to the nearest bush. There he gestured for the boy to get down on his knees, just like he did himself. Peeking cautiously, he asked, "Do you see him?" 

"I see a lot of "him" here. Althou this one looks more like "her"...eeh, I don't mean to stereotype. It's up to them what they prefer to be called-" 

"Apprentice, I'm talking about our target."

"Oh well, _sorry_ , but perhaps if I knew what he looked like - maybe, just maybe, - I would be able to tell that!"

"He's right there! Next to the cage with those... whatever the kriff those are. Looks like some big cats. You see the ones with six legs and four eyes?"

"I don't- Oh yeah, I see the creatures! The white one looks neat."

"I'd say it's silver."

"If it's got red eyes - it's probably albino."

"Well too bad we can't see that from here... let's go. Slowly, carefully! Sounds like a perfect cover - we're going there to see the silver albino spider cat. Don't look around much..."

"I'll look around as much as it'd be natural for me to do."

Ezra kept his word, and did look around at least few times, before they arrived to their destination, next to the spider cats cage.  

"Do you see it's _eyes_ yet?" Maul asked in a weird tone. 

"Ehh, hard to tell, it's got its back on us..." 

"Yes, right. It's  _eyes_ are right at your back at the moment." 

"What? No, I said the spider cat has it's back on us." 

"Yes, _the spider cat,_ if you will, has it's back on us now... now it's stepping away, slowly..."

"Uhm, no? It's still right here? What are you-" It occured to Ezra, that Maul was looking over his head, instead of facing him. He was using those terms to adress the target, Ezra now realised that, "Oh! Oh, right... So, where is the 'albino spider cat' one now?" 

"Ezra, he's right here." Maul pointed at the actual animal in the actual cage. 

The boy took a deep sigh, "Yes. I. Got. That. I was playing along your code this time!"

"Oh? I assumed you gave up." 

The boy turned around to face the spider cats, and started counting their legs slowly. No, he wasn't going to get angry, or let any other Dark Side emotions flow through him today. He very soon found zabrak's hand on his shoulder.

"I'd recommend you let the irritation fuel you. ... We can go now, the target moved to another section of the zoo. If we hurry-"

Maul was already heading on, when the boy tugged him back by his hand. "Hold up! I haven't seen the albino one yet! I want to see if it's albino at all, or just silver." 

The old master stood next to him, and they patiently waited for the silver albino spider cat to turn around. 

 

It had one red and one black eye. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

"Sir, do you want to buy anything?" 

"Wha- oh no, I'm just... resting my legs here." Maul replied, looking up at the cotton candy seller, as he was kneeling right next to his booth. 

"Your legs look rather... mechanical. Why would you need to rest-" 

"I'd like one pink please." Ezra interrupted. 

"A'ight, a pink one coming right up..." Replied the cotton candy seller, and turned his attention to his work. "Now that's a talk for me. Sit all you want as long as buy the stuff... hmm mhm hmm..."

Maul had a look of pure "Thank you" on his face. 

Ezra kneeled down to him, "Don't be so certain I only did it to help you. You're paying for it." The boy was grinning in anticipation. 

  
_Your smile is priceless_ , the zabrak thought, but only nodded to the boy, "Stay down, he's right around the corner, over there..."

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

"With all due respect (not that I have much for you, just a saying) this is... incorrect. I look inappropriate here. I'll get off-" 

"Stay on the swings!"

"I'm too old for those, obviously! I'm eighteen... in few months." 

"Ezra, _please_. You pass for a 14 years old kid well. Did you not notice I got a child ticket for you?" 

The boy squinted at the reminder. 

"There is nothing personal here, it's just... a very comfy opportunity for me to look around, while you swing. Or rather, I swing you... I'm not sure how do you call that." 

"Eh, fine, just for the mission, whatever... not like it's special to me or anything. Just swing it high!" 

"Will do, Apprentice. Will do..." 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

It must have been a hour now. Or more? Time passed so fast while they hunted down Maul's Target, that Ezra didn't even once get to see himself. Everytime he'd ask "Is this the one?" he'd recieve either "No, he's the hooded one next to him." or "No, he changed since we last saw him. I know his face."

"Oh. So what does his face look like?"

"Well it's... the pale one." 

"Is he a human? What's his hair like?" 

"Well he's got eyebrows."

"Any other significant traits?" 

And the reply was... silence. 

Ezra bared with it for a good while, until finally, a thought entered his mind gently, and gave him the right glasses to look and finally see that mysterious Target.

 

Ezra tugged on Maul's hand, "Master, I think I just saw our target," zabrak raised his eyebrows, as the boy spoke on, "Yes, I think that's him. I just saw him... come out of the petting zoo section." 

Last part came out with slight trepidation. What if the boy got it all wrong? For a second Ezra guessed, that their Traget's name was " _Excuse_ ". 

Maul stared the boy in the eyes for few seconds, then turned his attention to the petting zoo, that they were passing by at the moment, "Huh... Yes, you're right. I see him too, he just left it." Ezra let out a breath he just now realised he was holding, "The young animals... they must be his secret agents! Of course, the most innocent ones. No one would have ever suspected... A wonderful observation, my Apprentice." Maul hit his own hand with the fist in determined maneer, "We'll have to interrogate them!"

"...Interrogate?" 

"By that I mean you'll try to get information of them by being nice and petting them, and I'll stand by, on a respectful distance, menacingly."

"I think I'm alright with this." 

Few minutes later, they were doing everything according to the plan. Ezra was sitting down, petting and cuddling the little loth-kittens and other fluffy or scaled animals, as Maul stood nearby, watching for the boy's safety. Guarding him. Once in a while, he would remind of his presence. 

"Ezra, remember, the mission."

"Yeah, yeah, I remember! Now tell me, mr. Fluffy paws" he turned his attention back to the tiny spider-cat on his knees, "What has that man told you? Oh, so you're going to keep silence? Well, I've got something that'll make you talk..." With that, the boy would mercilessly hug and cuddle, and if it was safe to - even tickle the baby animal. 

As time went on, Maul reminded of his presence less and less. No sense in lying to himself - the boy seemed happier without it. 

He've had his family and life. 

 

Maul could never be anything more to Ezra than a stranger. Truth be told, he was being egoistic. Ezra's happines brought his own, and he wanted more and more of it. Having spend his whole life living on constant anger, it was soo new to him - to do things for someone you want to see happy. To take Ezra to good places and get him what he wants. 

Not that it wasn't mutually benificial. Ezra, this poor child, who knew nothing, but survival since he was soo very young. He definitely deserved a better childhood, than being a part of the war. 

And Maul could provide it. 

Had Ezra said a word, he'd drop all the Sith, Revenge, and Empire deals out of his life, and spend the rest of it caring for him. Living for him. 

Ezra was his new hope. 

 

But why would the boy ever do that? He had the whole Rebel fleet that he called his true Family. 

There was no place for Maul in his life, and zabrak knew it well. 

 

Ezra's soft touch "woke" him up. He didn't even realise he was so deep down in his thoughts, he was basically meditating in the middle of the zoo.

He wondered if he'd ever want to wake up, if life with Ezra was a dream to be dreamt. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

It was a late evening when they left the zoo. 

"Too bad I didn't get to assassinate him, but at least we've spied at him for the whole day." 

"So I take it my presence was valuable."

"Oh, it was very valued, Apprentice. It always is."

There was a moment of awkward silence, as they got into Maul's ship. Ezra was scanning his whole experience today, awaiting what the zabrak will say now. For a second, there was even a thought of sudden backstab to come. Although everything Maul has done today was so unlike any evil plan. The boy wondered if he deserved to be reconsidered from being pure evil to something else, perhaps. Despite any doubts and guesses, Ezra will never understand what he truly means to Maul.

Maul broke the silence first, "I've been spying on him for a long time now. I have his whole schedule from... my special spy droids, who've got it for me." Maul turned to face Ezra, "He's going to have some important, secret meeting at one of Coruscant's infamous amusement parks next tenday." 

A game of stares followed. 

"Well," Soft smile finally landed upon Ezra's face, a heartwarming sunshine warming up the room as he spoke, "I guess I'll have no choice, but to go with you again, and put on this whole play. What a tragedy!" The boy laughed out last part. 

The zabrak felt his hearts skip a beat, "Of course! But the thing is, I'm not sure where will he be arriving there... Hmm, at what time can I pick you up?" 

"Well, I guess I'm free after 5pm on firstday." 

"Ah right, thank you, Apprentice. I remembered now, that's exactly when he'll be arriving! We'll have to keep a good eye on him, wherever he goes. And he'll probably wonder around a lot, if he notices he's got us on his tail." He couldn't help, but chuckle, very lightly.

"Whatever you say, Master." Ezra shined of happiness. 

 

This was going to be a long series of missions to come. 

 

And eventually, a whole new better life for both. 


End file.
